Posture Development and Exercise Device

ABSTRACT

A posture development and exercise device including a back contact portion configured to contact the back of a user, and an arm bar coupled to the back contact portion and configured to extend laterally from the back contact portion such that the arm bar extends laterally on each side of the user in response to the back contact portion being in contact with the back of the user.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/568,727 filed on Dec. 9, 2011.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present general inventive concept relates generally to exercise equipment, and, more particularly, to a device for promoting development of good posture in humans, useful for example in endurance training and other forms of exercise.

BACKGROUND

It is generally understood that developing and maintaining proper body posture is beneficial to the health and wellbeing of humans. It is also understood that maintaining proper body posture during exercise or other forms of physical exertion is generally helpful in promoting proper musculoskeletal growth and development, opening breathing passages, encouraging efficient cardiovascular and circulatory processes, and other such beneficial functions. For example, in exercises such as running, walking, or jogging, it is generally accepted that such exercises are more beneficial to the participant if the participant maintains proper body posture, including but not limited to, a generally upright back and spine, with the participant's head held upright above the spine.

For people who generally exhibit poor or improper posture in their day-to-day activities, positioning a person's body in a proper upright posture for running, walking, or jogging, is often difficult, and in some instances can be uncomfortable or even painful. However, in certain cases, if the person maintains such proper posture during regular exercise, the body of the person begins to adapt to allow such proper posture to be more easily achieved. Accordingly, there is a need for a device to assist a user in positioning the user's body in a proper posture for exercise which will allow the user to conduct such exercise while maintaining such proper posture.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present general inventive concept, in various example embodiments, includes a posture development and exercise device that contacts the back of the user and has an arm bar to interact with the user's arms to improve the user's posture.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present general inventive concept.

The foregoing and/or other aspects and advantages of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by a posture development and exercise device including a back contact portion configured to contact the back of a user, and an arm bar coupled to the back contact portion and configured to extend laterally from the back contact portion such that the arm bar extends laterally on each side of the user in response to the back contact portion being in contact with the back of the user.

The back contact portion may include at least one elongated section that is substantially perpendicular to the arm bar.

The back contact portion may include two elongated sections configured such that the respective elongated sections contact the back of the user at opposite sides of the user's spine.

The posture development and exercise device may further include one or more cross segments extending between and connecting the two elongated sections.

The posture development and exercise device may further include a roller provided to at least one of the one or more cross segments to contact the user approximately along the user's spine to facilitate movement of the back contact portion along the user's spine.

The roller may be configured in a ball shape.

The posture development and exercise device may further include one or more rollers provided along the two elongated sections.

The at least one elongated section may be contoured to substantially conform to the user's back.

The arm bar may be offset from the back contact portion.

The arm bar may be slidably repositionable relative to the back contact portion.

An s-curve may be provided on either side of the arm bar to provide an armrest for the user.

The posture development and exercise device may further include handgrips respectively provided at both ends of the arm bar.

The handgrips may be rubber or foam.

The posture development and exercise device may further include a harness secured to the back contact portion and wearable by the user of the posture development and exercise device.

The harness may be a belt type harness.

The belt type harness may include shoulder straps.

Other features and aspects may be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The following example embodiments are representative of example techniques and structures designed to carry out the objects of the present general inventive concept, but the present general inventive concept is not limited to these example embodiments. In the accompanying drawings and illustrations, the sizes and relative sizes, shapes, and qualities of lines, entities, and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. A wide variety of additional embodiments will be more readily understood and appreciated through the following detailed description of the example embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a posture development and exercise device according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept;

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the posture development and exercise device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates the posture development and exercise device of FIG. 1 as used by a user in an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a user using a posture development and exercise device according to another example embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and illustrations. The example embodiments are described herein in order to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures.

The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the structures and fabrication techniques described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modification, and equivalents of the structures and fabrication techniques described herein will be suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. The progression of fabrication operations described are merely examples, however, and the sequence type of operations is not limited to that set forth herein and may be changed as is known in the art, with the exception of operations necessarily occurring in a certain order. Also, description of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness.

Various embodiments of the present general inventive concept, as described herein, provide a posture development and exercise device that contacts the back of the user and has an arm bar to interact with the user's arms to improve the user's posture. According to various example embodiments, the posture development and exercise device may include a back contact portion configured to contact the back of a user, and an arm bar coupled to the back contact portion and configured to extend laterally from the back contact portion such that the arm bar extends laterally on each side of the user in response to the back contact portion being in contact with the back of the user.

FIG. 1 illustrates a posture development and exercise device according to an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept, and FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the posture development and exercise device of FIG. 1. The posture development and exercise device 10 includes a back contact portion 20 that is configured to contact the back of a user during use of the device 10, and an arm bar 30 that is coupled to the back contact portion 20 and configured to extend laterally from the back contact portion 20 such that the arm bar 30 extends laterally on each side of the user during use of the device 10. Thus, when the back contact portion 20 is positioned against the user's spine, the user is able to position the user's arms along the arm bar 30, thereby simultaneously holding the device 10 in place along the user's back and allowing the device 10 to support the user in an upright posture.

According to various example embodiments, the back contact portion 20 may include at least one elongated section 22 that is substantially perpendicular to the arm bar 30. In the example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the back contact portion 20 includes two elongated sections 22 configured such that the respective elongated sections 22 contact the back of the user at opposite sides of the user's spine during use of the device 10. In other various example embodiments, the device 10 may include one elongated section 22 that rests along the spine of the user. The back contact portion 20 may include one or more cross segments 24 extending between and connecting the elongated sections 22. Although the elongated sections 22 illustrated in FIG. 1 are relatively short, and are generally straight members that are adapted to extend along a relatively straight lumbar portion of the user's spine, in various example embodiments the elongated sections 22 may be significantly longer to provide support over a larger portion of the user's back, and may further be contoured to substantially conform to the curves of the user's back when the user's spine is positioned in an upright posture.

The device 10 may include a roller 26 provided to at least one of the one or more cross segments 24 to contact the user's approximately along the user's spine to facilitate movement of the back contact portion along the user's spine, so that the device 10 may be repositioned conveniently as desired. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the roller 26 may be a spherical roller provided around the cross segment 24, but in various example embodiments the roller 26 could have other shapes such as, for example, a cylindrical shape, and may be provided between sections of the cross segment 24. Also, in various example embodiments, a plurality of rollers 26 may be provided to respective ones of the one or more cross sections 24. In other various example embodiments one or more rollers 26 could be provided along the elongated sections 22. For example, in an example embodiment in which the elongated sections 22 are configured to extend along the majority of the user's spine, a plurality of rollers 26 may be provided to the elongated sections 22 to cooperate to define a contour along the user's back corresponding to the shape of the user's back when the user's spine is held upright.

According to various example embodiments, the arm bar 30 may be offset from the back contact portion 20 so as not to contact the user's back during use. In FIG. 1, the arm bar 30 is coupled to the back contact portion 20 by an offset member 40 that is coupled to both the back contact portion 20 and the arm bar 30. The arm bar 30 may include an s-curve 32 on either side of the arm bar 30 such that the distal ends of the arm bar 30 are brought forward toward the front of the user to counter at least a portion of the offset provided by the offset member 40. The arm bar 30 may be provided with handgrips 34 at each end of the arm bar 30, or along substantially all of the arm bar 30. The handgrips 34 may be formed of any number of materials, such as, for example, rubber, foam, etc. In addition to gripping the handgrips 34, the user may position his or her arms against the handgrips 34, or may rest his or her arms in the s-curves 32 according to the desired use. According to various example embodiments, the arm bar 30 may be coupled to the offset member 40 such that the arm bar 30 is slidable to be repositioned in a lateral direction of the user. According to various example embodiments, a hinge connection may be provided between the arm bar 30 and the offset member 40, and/or between the offset member 40 and the back contact portion 20, to provide at least some range of motion to the arm bar 30 in front and back direction relative to the back contact portion 20. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a logo member 50, such as a round plate, may be provided to the device 10 to display, for example, the logo of the manufacturer or any other type of decoration or advertisement desired by the user.

FIG. 3 illustrates the posture development and exercise device 10 of FIG. 1 as used by a user in an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. As discussed above, the arm bar 30 is coupled to the back contact portion 20 and extends generally perpendicularly to the elongated sections 22 of the back contact portion 20, such that the arm bar 30 extends generally perpendicularly to the user's spine when the user's spine is positioned in an upright posture. In this configuration, a user may wrap at least a portion of the user's arms around the arm bar 30 to assist in holding the back contact portion 20 against the user's back at a desired location along the user's spine.

In various example embodiments, the positioning of the arm bar 30 relative to the back contact portion 20 is such that the act of wrapping the user's arms around the arm bar 30 further serves to urge the user's shoulders toward an upright posture. For example, in an example embodiment, the arm bar 30 may be positioned such that the arm bar 30 extends generally coplanar with the user's waistline when the back contact portion 20 is positioned along the user's back. In this embodiment, the user may choose to wrap the user's hands and/or wrist around the arm bar 30. In another example embodiment, the arm bar 30 may be positioned such that the arm bar 30 extends generally along an interface of the user's lumbar and thoracic spinal regions, thereby positioning the arm bar 30 to allow the user to wrap the user's elbows around the arm bar 30. In yet another example embodiment, the position of the arm bar 30 may be adjustable, such as by means of a slidable connection of the arm bar 30 to the back contact portion 20, selective repositionable locking mechanisms securing the arm bar 30 along the back contact portion 20, or other attachment means of the type known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

In various example embodiments, the overall length of the arm bar 30 may be selectively adjustable, such as, for example, telescopically adjustable, to allow for greater ease in positioning the user's arms around the arm bar 30. In various other example embodiments, the arm bar 30 may be provided with offset portions extending generally toward the front of the user when the back contact portion 20 is positioned against the user's back, such that the user is able to wrap the user's arms around the offset portions of the arm bar 30, such as the previously discussed s-curves, with greater ease. In yet another example embodiment, the arm bar 30 is provided with padded sections to further increase the comfort of wear of the arm bar 30 portions of the posture development and exercise device 10 to the user.

According to various example embodiments, the posture development and exercise device 10 may further include an apparatus suitable to secure the back contact portion 20 along a user's spine such that the user does not have to maintain constant interaction with the device 10 to maintain the position of the device. For example, in an example embodiment, a harness is secured to the back contact portion 20 by suitable attachment means. FIG. 4 illustrates a user using a posture development and exercise device according to such an example embodiment of the present general inventive concept. The harness 60 is configured to be secured around a torso of a user, such as a belt type harness, to secure the back contact portion 20 to the user's back. According to various example embodiments, the harness 60 may include shoulder straps 62 to provide further support to the device 10.

According to various embodiments of the present general inventive concept, a posture development and exercise device is provided that contacts the back of the user and has an arm bar to interact with the user's arms to improve the user's posture. According to various example embodiments, the posture development and exercise device may include a back contact portion configured to contact the back of a user, and an arm bar coupled to the back contact portion and configured to extend laterally from the back contact portion such that the arm bar extends laterally on each side of the user in response to the back contact portion being in contact with the back of the user.

It is noted that the simplified diagrams and drawings do not illustrate all the various connections and assemblies of the various components, however, those skilled in the art will understand how to implement such connections and assemblies, based on the illustrated components, figures, and descriptions provided herein. Numerous variations, modification, and additional embodiments are possible, and, accordingly, all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the spirit and scope of the present general inventive concept.

While the present general inventive concept has been illustrated by description of several example embodiments, and while the illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the general inventive concept to such descriptions and illustrations. Instead, the descriptions, drawings, and claims herein are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive, and additional embodiments will readily appear to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description and drawings. Additional modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept. 

1. A posture development and exercise device comprising: a back contact portion configured to contact the back of a user; and an arm bar coupled to the back contact portion and configured to extend laterally from the back contact portion such that the arm bar extends laterally on each side of the user in response to the back contact portion being in contact with the back of the user.
 2. The posture development and exercise device of claim 1, wherein the back contact portion comprises at least one elongated section that is substantially perpendicular to the arm bar.
 3. The posture development and exercise device of claim 2, wherein the back contact portion comprises two elongated sections configured such that the respective elongated sections contact the back of the user at opposite sides of the user's spine.
 4. The posture development and exercise device of claim 3, further comprising one or more cross segments extending between and connecting the two elongated sections.
 5. The posture development and exercise device of claim 4, further comprising a roller provided to at least one of the one or more cross segments to contact the user approximately along the user's spine to facilitate movement of the back contact portion along the user's spine.
 6. The posture development and exercise device of claim 5, wherein the roller is configured in a ball shape.
 7. The posture development and exercise device of claim 3, further comprising one or more rollers provided along the two elongated sections.
 8. The posture development and exercise device of claim 2, wherein the at least one elongated section is contoured to substantially conform to the user's back.
 9. The posture development and exercise device of claim 1, wherein the arm bar is offset from the back contact portion.
 10. The posture development and exercise device of claim 1, wherein the arm bar is slidably repositionable relative to the back contact portion.
 11. The posture development and exercise device of claim 1, wherein an s-curve is provided on either side of the arm bar to provide an armrest for the user.
 12. The posture development and exercise device of claim 1, further comprising handgrips respectively provided at both ends of the arm bar.
 13. The posture development and exercise device of claim 12, wherein the handgrips are rubber or foam.
 14. The posture development and exercise device of claim 1, further comprising a harness secured to the back contact portion and wearable by the user of the posture development and exercise device.
 15. The posture development and exercise device of claim 14, wherein the harness is a belt type harness.
 16. The posture development and exercise device of claim 15, wherein the belt type harness includes shoulder straps. 